


Not Yet

by Katherine



Category: A Companion to Wolves - Elizabeth Bear & Sarah Monette, His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Genre: Fusion, Gen, Psychic Wolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-13
Updated: 2014-02-13
Packaged: 2018-01-12 07:46:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1183719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katherine/pseuds/Katherine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Why this litter?" Lyra asked. Someday, she admitted to herself, she might want to venture into such a bond, but not yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Yet

_There are writers who have re-stated the persistent claim that the panserbjørne once fought with humans against the trolls, but this is a mere story. Only the trellwolves (of all other creatures inhabiting our world) have chosen to do that._

* * *

"Why this litter?" Lyra asked. Someday, she admitted to herself, she might want to venture into such a bond, but not yet. Not yet—not now when she was newly alone and hardly used to Pantalaimon having settled. He was conspicuously not taking part in the conversation: instead sprawled beside her in the curled-spine way of his permanent marten form. His eyes were closed but his rounded ears were twitching.

Dame Hannah slowly (reluctantly, Lyra realised) explained. "Trellwolf pups often seem to choose humans who they can relate to in some way. An experience they share, though how often wolf pups and humans not in a wolf-hall share experiences..." Lyra waited through that digression, well used to scholars' ways.

"In any case," the Dame said, moving to the specific, "A sibling of this litter died about a month ago."

"Will en't dead," Lyra said angrily. "And he's not my brother." Pan raised his head to stare, opened eyes gleaming.

"No, of course not," Dame Hannah said soothingly, her marmoset daemon shifting on her shoulder. "It's only that we had some thought of—" She broke off, returning to more abstract lecture mode: "Usually trellwolf pups die so young only the adults of the pack remember them. So you understand, these three pups left are feeling an unusual loss."

Lyra did not want to look at the pups or to venture the possibility of now in her mind, but Pan edged to even closer beside her, and with that support she let herself look.

"I wouldn't mind," Pan told her in a whisper. "If one wants to choose you it'll want to choose me too. That's how things are." 

The thin pup was a colour like electrum, all brown-golden. When she moved nearer, Lyra knew.


End file.
